System and method for increasing attributes of a virtual item

Abstract

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to increasing an attribute of a virtual item type in a virtual space. Users, having virtual item instances of a virtual item, may be presented with an offer to increase a performance level of virtual item instances of the virtual item as a group in exchange for pooled consideration from the users as a group. The performance level of the virtual item instances of the virtual item may be increased as a group in exchange for the users, as a group, tendering the pooled consideration.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for increasing an attribute of a virtual item, the system comprising: one or more physical computer processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
 execute an instance of an online game and to facilitate presentation of views of a game space in which the online game is played to users, to enable interaction of the users with the online game and/or each other by performing operations in the game space in response to commands received from the users; 
 manage instances of virtual items usable by users in the online game; 
 manage user accounts of users wherein the user accounts include inventories of virtual items useable in the online game by the users, the user accounts including:
 a first user account having a first inventory for the first user, the first inventory indicating that the first user has a first virtual item instance of a first virtual item for use in the online game; and 
 a second user account having a second inventory for the second user, the second inventory indicating that the second user has a second virtual item instance of the first virtual item for use in the online game; 
 
 facilitate presentation of an offer to users to adjust an attribute of virtual item instances of the virtual item as a group in exchange for pooled consideration from multiple ones of the users, such that a first offer is presented to the first user and the second user to adjust attributes of the first virtual item instance of the first virtual item and the second virtual item instance of the first virtual item; and 
 responsive to receiving the pooled consideration from the multiple ones of the users, adjust the attributes of the virtual item instances of the virtual item for the multiple ones of the users, such that the first virtual item instance and the second virtual item instance of the first virtual item are adjusted for the first user and the second user in exchange for the first user and the second user tendering an amount of pooled consideration, wherein such adjustment results in a change of the attribute of the first virtual item instance and the second virtual item instance. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  wherein individual ones of the virtual items have a virtual item type and a performance level associated with the attribute of the virtual item, such that the first virtual item has a first virtual item type and a first performance level associated with a first attribute of the first virtual item. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured to manage affiliations within the online game, a given affiliation within the online game comprising a discrete group of users with a relationship having a functional significance within the online game, the affiliations within the online game comprising a first affiliation of a first discrete group of users including the first user and the second user. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1  wherein responsive to the first user having the first instance of the first virtual item in the first inventory and the second user having a second instance of the first virtual item in the second inventory, the first user and the second user are presented with the offer to adjust the attribute of the first virtual item instance and the second virtual item instance of the first virtual item. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein adjusting the attribute of the first virtual item instance and the second virtual item instance of the first virtual item as a group is responsive to a first amount of pooled consideration by the group reaching a consideration threshold. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein adjusting the attribute of the first virtual item instance and the second virtual item instance of the first virtual item as a group is responsive to the users in the group reaching a user threshold, the user threshold indicating a quantity of users that are required to contribute to the first amount of pooled consideration as a group. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein adjusting the attribute of the first virtual item instance and the second virtual item instance of the first virtual item is proportional to the number of users in the group, and/or proportional to the pooled consideration tendered by the users in the group. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first virtual item is a battle card. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first virtual item is a game object having attacking and/or defensive attributes. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured to facilitate presentation of a notification of a user threshold and/or a consideration threshold to the users in the group. 
     
     
       11. A method for increasing an attribute of a virtual item in an online game, the method being implemented in system including one or more computer physical processors and storage media storing machine readable instructions, the method comprising:
 executing an instance of an online game and to facilitate presentation of views of a game space in which the online game is played to users, and to enable interaction of the users with the online game and/or each other by performing operations in the game space in response to commands received from the users 
 managing instances of virtual items usable by users in the online game; 
 managing user accounts of users wherein the user accounts include inventories of virtual items useable in the online game by the users, the user accounts including:
 a first user account having a first inventory for the first user, the first inventory indicating that the first user has a first virtual item instance of a first virtual item for use in the online game; and, 
 a second user account having a second inventory, the second inventory for the second user indicating that the second user has a second virtual item instance of the first virtual item for use in the online game; 
 
 facilitate presentation of an offer to users to adjust an attribute of virtual item instances of the virtual item as a group in exchange for pooled consideration from multiple ones of the users, such that a first offer is presented to the first user and the second user to adjust attributes of the first virtual item instance of the first virtual item and the second virtual item instance of the first virtual item; and 
 responsive to receiving the pooled consideration from the multiple ones of the users, adjusting the attributes of the virtual item instances of the virtual item for the multiple ones of the users, such that the first virtual item instance and the second virtual item instance of the first virtual item are adjusted for the first user and the second user in exchange for the first user and the second user tendering an amount of pooled consideration, wherein such adjustment results in a change of the attribute of the first virtual item instance and the second virtual item instance. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11  wherein individual ones of the virtual items have a virtual item type and a performance level associated with the attribute of the virtual item, the virtual items including a virtual item having a first virtual item type and a first performance level associated with a first attribute of the first virtual item. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising managing affiliations within the online game, a given affiliation within the online game comprising a discrete group of users with a relationship having a functional significance within the online game, the affiliations within the online game comprising a first affiliation of a first discrete group of users including the first user and the second user. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , wherein responsive to the first user and the second user having the first instance of the first virtual item in the first inventory and the second user having a second instance of the first virtual item in the second inventory, the first user and the second user are presented with the offer to adjust the attribute of the first virtual item instance and the second virtual item instance of the first virtual item. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein adjusting the attribute of the first virtual item instance and the second virtual item instance of the first virtual item as a group is responsive to the first amount of pooled consideration by the group reaching a consideration threshold. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11 , wherein adjusting the attribute of the first virtual item instance and the second virtual item instance of the first virtual item as a group is responsive to the users in the group reaching a user threshold, the user threshold indicating a quantity of users that are required to contribute to the first amount of pooled consideration as a group. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11 , wherein adjusting the attribute of the first virtual item instance and the second virtual item instance of the first virtual item is proportional to the number of users in the group, and/or proportional to the pooled consideration tendered by the users in the group. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 11  wherein the first virtual item is a battle card. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 11  wherein the first virtual item is a game object having attacking and/or defensive attributes. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising facilitating presentation of a notification of a user threshold and/or a consideration threshold to the users in the group.